Keeping Nature Safe

For some people nature is a theoretical concept that is not rooted in the reality of living. However for other people nature is all about living. When we see the hungry lioness hunting down a resentful buffalo, we know that nature is at work. Those with a religious inclination have used nature to impose their own conservative adventures. It is rather ironic that those same people are the ones who do not seem concerned about the problem with destroying nature reserves.

The truth is that as human beings we have a great responsibility for looking after nature and passing it on to future generations. This responsibility has not always been taken seriously and some quarters of political thought have taken negative steps to prevent the growth of nature.

The degradation of the environment is one of the clearest signs that the human race is not really protecting nature. There are plenty of natural resources but they are not receiving the kind of care and attention that one would expect in such a development context. Rather we are obsessed with consuming things. We greedily search out all the fruits of nature and waste them for our own selfish enjoyment. The only time that we think about nature is when it strikes back by way of natural disasters. The politicians have caught onto the fact that nature studies and exploitation can become a source of great revenues. They have therefore developed tourism industries that aim to exploit nature to the maximum. As the resources dwindle, we will start to fight over the remainder.

Nature Strikes Back

The protection of a nature is no longer the preserve of our national administrations but rather a responsibility that can be embraced by everyone and anyone who is interested in the development of humanity. It seems that the study and exploitation of nature has become the norm in modern societies. Sometimes it even seems that people in the past were much better at using and protecting nature than the modern communities. More than ever before, our farming practices are now producing food at the cost of the destruction of the soil and the habitat of birds, bees and animals. Although some types of organic farms are indeed sustainable businesses, in part funded by the pocket of eco-conscious consumers who are willing to pay more for fine organic wine and other produce; overall, nature is being devastated by our lack of care for the land and foresight. If we take the example of our relationship with the land, modern children have lost that contact. For them food comes from the fridge and they express no interest in farming or other related activities.

Working from the perspective that nature is something to be appreciated it seems that the work that we put in will have to focus on certain issues that surround the environment and its usage. The political conservatives might eventually come round to the suggestion that nature is work protecting as we exploit it. When we talk of what is natural, we must also think about replacing what we have used and giving the earth a break from over exploitation.

That is the challenge for the modern environmentalist movement that is threatened from both sides by the sinister forces of conservative thought. Nature is a gift and we must not abuse it because we are not the people who have created it. The devastating effects of retaliation are well known.

Nature and the Next Generation

When one critically examines the way that we are using nature today, the future does not look bright at all. There is an insidious entry of people whose main interest is in advancing the concept of selfish capitalism. Everything and everyone must be exploited in the name of capitalism in order to embed a culture of consumerism. The concerns about the abuse of nature are normally brushed aside with insults directed at effete liberals who refuse to accept the realities of modern life.

However it does not have to be like this. We can all work in partnership to ensure that the nature reserves that we have at our disposal are used in a responsible manner that concentrates on the benefits of the community in the long term.

One of the more intelligent princes in the European Union has constantly talked about the need to preserve things for the future generations. This type of preservative work is not about objects of wealth but rather recognition that nature is being depleted at a very fast rate. If we take the example of energy resources, it becomes very clear that throughout our economic development we have not considered the impact of our lives on nature.  It is only when we have realized that the party is over that we are now panicked into making piecemeal decisions that are designed to halt the rapid loss of nature reserves. There is a frustrating emphasis on the present which completely ignores the past and the future.

Nature and Public Action

The vast majority of the people in the developed world are living with the express purpose of enjoying themselves no matter what the impact is on the nature reserves that we still hold. Of course there is a price to pay but one wonders whether we are really willing to pay that price. When the storms started raging, the word community was spooked into giving vast amounts of foreign aid. Meanwhile they ignored the real problem of the over exploitation of nature reserves. This is not something that can easily be swept under the carpet. As long as we continue to over exploit nature, the effects will continue to be devastating and will affect all areas of our lives in due course.

Some people might argue that the banning of blatant consumerism is the first sign of socialism and is not about dealing with the problems of nature within the environment. However the problem with blatant consumerism still remains the fact that has unfortunate effect on nature. Eggs that could have been grown in the backyard are imported from miles away at vast expense in terms of the money itself and the carbon footprint. The lessons are there to be learnt but if people ignore them then we will learn the hard way. I am of the view that nature will destroy us if we do not take the time to look after it and pass it on to the future generations.

Classifying Nature

The programming on televisions tends to leave us with the impression that nature is all about the battles for survival that wild animals face. We forget to look at nature as a natural resource that needs to be protected at all costs. There are a number of things that collectively form the concept that is nature. In fact one can argue that the foundations of a nation are rooted in the natural resources that it has.

The developed countries will master their nature and natural resources in an effort to improve the lives of the citizens of that country. That is why Norway will spend its oil revenues on building infrastructure while some African countries will spend the revenues on buying private jets for the rich and famous. The difference in priorities will directly translate into the relative prosperity of the people living in the different nations. They both have the natural resources but are exploiting them in different ways.

Nature and Citizenship

In fact there are many instances where the countries that are not blessed with nature will outstrip those which have abundance. Once again the examples in Africa are salutary. For example there are countries in Africa were seeds will grow naturally once they fall on the ground. There is no need for watering and pesticides because nature will have taken care of things. On the other end of the spectrum is a country that is in the midst of a very dangerous desert but they then create avenues for agriculture through irrigation and land acquisition. We then have the ludicrous situation whereby a country like Egypt is giving food aid to a country in sub-Saharan African. This is all about how people use nature to develop the lives of their people.

Nature can be both a blessing and a curse. We have all heard about the oil curse that has destroyed communities in some countries. On the other hand other countries which nature has provided with natural gifts will be in danger of being invaded by the glory hunters who want to have a piece of that nature. Nature can also react quite angrily to efforts to destroy it. For example the degradation of the environment has led to horrendous storms that have destroyed lives and property. Nature is dangerous and challenging but it can also provide the focus for a developed society that is founded on the principles of controlled uses of natural resources.

The vast nature resources that are available to the community ought to be used for the express purpose of delivering a better quality of life for the ordinary person who wishes to enjoy their citizenship in peace. It is also imperative that the nature reserves that we are talking about are protected from the sinister acquisition of powerful nations.

Planning for the Preservation of Nature

There has to be some sort of planning process if nature is to be protected from the ravages of constant usage. The planning is normally undertaken at national level with the involvement of central government and other organizations. Normally what happens is that the people concerned will have a view to manage the crisis that arises when nature is not used appropriately.

However they sometimes lack the strategic vision that will entail the long term future of the scheme and the people working within the community. The planners do not concentrate on making the protection of nature a national priority. Rather they deal with local issues that may arise from time to time. This is not the type of strategy that gives the people confidence that their leaders are taking nature seriously.

One can take the example of planning permission for buildings within the cities. It is absolutely shocking that some people are allowed to build on water tables and even nature reserves. It is all too easy to lay the blame at the feet of unfettered corruption but there has to be an element of ignorance in this. After all it takes the auspices of the community to work out a strategy for securing their own nature reserves. Those who build on the water tables have to take some responsibility in addition to the standard blame game that occurs within the higher echelons of the administrative structure when problems become apparent. It should be a matter of national pride that nature reserves are maintained and protected.

Nature Reserves

There is an element of enforcement that sometimes defeats the authorities in their efforts to protect nature. For example powerful elements within the governments will flaunt the laws and give the rest of the community a very bad example which forms the basis of their rebellion against planning laws. The thinking in this is that there is one rule for all the people in the community and no one element should be allowed to blatantly disregard the rules in favor of their own selfish motives. If the big shots are breaking the law with impunity then the ordinary person will find no incentive to follow the rules that have been set.

This is not to say that nature is a dead end scheme that does not generate income for the government. On the contrary there are economies which are totally reliant on the provision of tourism in order to support their budgets. For these countries the nature reserves ought to be a valuable resource that is protected with diligence. Instead they ignore the planning requirement of the strategy and merely concentrate on extracting as much utility as possible from the nature that is within their borders. After a limited period of time the nature reserves will be completely exhausted and the nation will go back to square one. It is this type of short sighted attitude that his keeping many nations within the firm grasp of poverty.

A Career in Nature

As the public focus moves onto the protection of the environment there are many opportunities for eh development of a career in nature studies. This does not mean that one has to settle for working in the zoo at all times. There are specific careers that are to do with research and development. Most governments have now implemented a system for nature reservations which provide opportunities for study in this area.

The career development service within the school of the applicant will be able to provide some concrete advice as to the feasibility of the subject as a career building exercise. Of course people will try to go for the traditional professions such as the doctor or the lawyer.

However these professions have great competition and the chances of settling there on a long term basis are not always optimistic. That is why candidates are advised to consider some unusual patterns when they are selecting a career. The study of nature and its impact will prove to be a unique selling point when going for a large variety of jobs. People who are interested conservation can have a very colorful career in exotic places where they have the opportunity to learn about wild animals and different people on earth. It is not a job that is limited to the office but can provide opportunities to do field work.

Nature Professionals

The great thing about nature studies is that they can take the skills from both sciences is arts in order to create the well rounded career professional. For example those who study geography might use their skills in combination with chemistry to do the necessary research in their field of work. The opportunities for training and development are plenty and it just needs a little initiative and drive to be able to deliver the results in terms of a great career in nature studies. Those who have ambitions for earning very high salaries will know that such objectives are achievable with the right kind of experience. Ambition and dedication are the keys to achieving the full benefits of a career in nature studies and those who take the effort to aim there will eventually get their ideal career situation. Nature is a land of opportunities for all.

It is a pity that many career choices are limited to a narrow gap of choice professions rather than looking at the wider context that provides opportunities to work in a variety of fields that are outside the mainstream. That is the beauty and challenge of nature studies.

People may shake their heads and wonder why such a career is being chosen but the results will speak for themselves when the right candidate has managed to build a formidable set of skills that can take them through the process of learning and research. Young people should certainly consider a career in nature studies because it can lead to a steady but interesting job that will give them a good lifestyle.